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This Blackjack strategy works if the Dealer is using 4 or more decks of cards. This is the norm in most online and offline casinos, but Double check with the Dealer before you start playing.

The first thing to look at is the table below. This has details of what you should do to optimize your chances with every version of your starting hand versus the Dealers visible card.

It is useful if you can remember this as best you can to give you the best possible advantage against the House.

If your Hand contains an Ace, look at the 2nd chart, if you have a pair the same value, look at the bottom chart. For all others, the top chart is the place to look.

How to Play Hard Hands: -A hard hand is two starting cards that do not contain an ace.

If you have eight or less, always Hit.
If you have Nine: Double if the Dealer has 3 to 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Ten: Double if the Dealer has 2 to 9 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Eleven: Double if the Dealer has 2 to 10, Hit if Dealer has Ace.
If you have Twelve: Hit if the Dealer has 2 or 3, Stand if the Dealer has 4 to 6, otherwise Hit.
If you have 13- 16: Stand if the Dealer has 2 to 6, otherwise, Hit.
If you have 17 – 21: Always Stand.

How to Play Soft Hands: – A soft hand is when one of your starting hands contains an ace.

If you have Ace 2 or Ace 3: Double if the Dealer has 5 or 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Ace 4 or Ace 5: Double if the Dealer has 4 to 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Ace 6: Double if the Dealer has 3 to 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Ace 7: Stand if the Dealer has 2, 7 or 8. Double 3 -to 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have Ace 8 or Ace 9: Always Stand.

How to Play Pairs

If you have a pair of Aces or Eights: Always Split.
If you have a pair of twos or threes: Split if the Dealer has 2 – 7, otherwise Hit.
If you have a pair of fours: Split if the Dealer has 5 or 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have a pair of fives: Double if the Dealer has 2 to 9 – otherwise Hit.
If you have a pair of sixes: Split if the Dealer has 2 to 6 – otherwise Hit.
If you have a pair of sevens: Split 2 to 7 – otherwise Hit.
If you have a pair of nines: Split 2 to 6, and 8 or 9. Stand if the Dealer has 7, 10 or Ace.
If you have a pair of tens: Always Stand.

Other tips – avoid the following:

Taking Insurance or Even Money
Blackjack is a gambling game, so hedging your bet and playing safe by taking Insurance doesn’t make much sense. In around 7 out of ten instances the Dealer shows an Ace they will not have blackjack, so buying Insurance is a losing long-term strategy and should be avoided.

Splitting Tens when Dealer shows 6

It is always a good idea to maximize your bets when the Dealer shows a 6 as this gives them the biggest chance of Busting, and although you will still expect to make money if you Split (less than $18 extra per $100), you can expect to make over $70 per $100 in bets by doing nothing and Standing on 20. There is a high chance that the Dealer will Bust, so always Stand on a hard 17 or greater.

Standing on 16 when Dealer shows Ace

Standing on 16 when the Dealer has a Ten is not nearly as bad as when the Dealer has an Ace. There is a good chance you will Bust when Hitting on 16, but at least you give yourself a chance to win or push the hand, otherwise in order to win you have to count on the Dealer Busting with an Ace.

Standing on Soft 18 when Dealer shows 6

As mentioned above, the Dealer having a 6 is the best possible hand for the Player as it presents the best chance of the Dealer Busting. You need to, therefore, try and maximize your returns in this situation, so Double and try to take down a bigger win. You can’t bust by taking one more card, so go for it!

Standing on Soft 18 when Dealer shows 9

This is a common one, and although 18 isn’t a bad total in Blackjack, when the Dealer has a 9 there is a high chance they will get a Ten or an Ace (38% of the time to be exact), so give yourself a chance to win and Hit it!

Hitting 11 when Dealer shows Ten

One of the best things about Blackjack is being able to control when to put more money on the table. If you have an 11 and the Dealer doesn’t get more money down by Doubling. You can expect to make about $18 for every $100 you bet, while Hitting will only earn you about $12.

Standing on a 12 when Dealer shows 2

This one divides Players a lot as plenty won’t want to risk Busting. However, there are plenty of cards that can save a Dealer who has a 2, so instead of hoping they Bust, take another card and try and get a better total.

Doubling 11 when Dealer shows Ace

Any time the Dealer has an Ace you need to be cautious. Just Hit instead of Doubling, there is no point betting more money against the Dealers Ace.

Hitting 2/2 when Dealer shows 7

Twos are actually reasonable cards to start with for a Player. It is likely the Dealer has a “stiff hand” or a 17, therefore Split that 2/2 and make some money.

Hitting 4/4 when Dealer shows 6

There is a consensus that you should Double 4/4 against a 6 to try and maximize your returns as the Dealer has a high chance of Busting, but we would recommend you Split the hand against a Dealers 6. When the Dealer shows a 6, you generally want to play as many hands as possible because the Dealer is likely to Bust.

Blackjack Strategy # 2- Steal The Bonus

This old strategy used to be one of my favorites. There are thousands of online casinos and because of the huge competition, almost every website offers a welcome bonus, to attract players. The trick to beating the casinos is to try and win with this bonus and then quickly cash out. This is easier then you might think(much easier years ago) and since there are thousands of online blackjack sites, there is money to be made. Your objective is to win this bonus money and move on to the next casino. Normally the blackjack odds are in favor of the casino but with this blackjack strategy, the odds are completely in your favor. With the blackjack strategy you will learn how to:

Make sure to memorize this strategy card or have it bookmarked for quick reference:

Steal The Bonus

In my early days of bonus hunting, I could go to a casino, deposit, get the bonus and withdraw my initial deposit. Then I would play until I met the wagering requirement and then most of the time I was able to withdraw 85% of the bonus money. There are still some casinos that allow this but not as many like in the past. This really isn’t a problem and I do exactly the same thing; the only difference is that I leave my deposit in my casino account until I meet the wagering requirements.

Here is an example of how this works. I go to a casino and download the software(if needed). If the casino offers a match bonus of 200% up to £100. I deposit £100 and I get 200% bonus, so my account now has £300 in casino chips. Let’s say the wagering requirements are 10x the bonus, this means I must make bets 10x the bonus amount, so 10 x £200= £2000. These bets must be met before I can withdraw both my deposit and my bonus.

With luck, I can do this in 1 or 2 hours. I bet a small amount over and over again using my blackjack strategy card. I have created strategy cards based on the software they are using. This reduces the edge of the casino to 0.50% or lower. Even if you use the wrong strategy card the house’s edge would only be about 1%. This means that when you met the wagering requirements, you’ll have about 80% of the bonus left, sometimes you will get lucky and you’ll be able to withdraw more than 100%.

Wager The Bonus With Blackjack

First of all, you will need to join a casino that allows you to wager the bonus with blackjack. You can find this information in the bonus terms or terms and conditions of the casino. If they allow you to wager the bonus with blackjack you can then follow these steps:

Deposit the maximum amount the casino is matching to get the maximum bonus money. If the casino is offering a 300% match bonus up to $100, then deposit $100.

Make small bets using the strategy card, bet the same amount over and over again and do not use betting systems. If you use betting systems, that’s fine, but you will not make money in the long run. Because you’re getting a bonus and the odds are in your favor, you will be able to withdraw about 90% of this bonus money. If you use a betting system you risk losing all of it. When you are new to this system you should bet the smallest possible amount, when you get more experienced start making $5 or even $10 wagers and you’ll be able to cash out faster.

Cash out as soon as you meet the wagering requirements and move on to the next casino. Some casinos have a limit to the amount you can cash out on bonus money, so always read the terms and conditions first.

If you use flat betting (betting small and the same amounts over and over again) most players should be able to get 70% to 90% of the bonus. If you get a bonus of $200 you should be able to get $180. When you meet the wagering requirements withdraw the bonus amount together with your initial deposit. Don’t get greedy, cash out and take your profits.

Here are a few things you need to keep in mind before making a deposit. Even if on my site it says bonus: 100% up to $100 wagering requirement 20x; an online casino can change their terms at any given time so you need to:

ALWAYS check the terms and conditions for the bonus

Look at how much you need to wager before you are able to cash out (WR)

Is the bonus sticky or is it cashable? If you don’t know what sticky bonus is read our page on casino bonuses.

There are some bonuses you can only get through an affiliate link or by entering a bonus code. You will find this information in the online casino terms & conditions.

If it’s on the homepage in most cases the only thing you have to do is make a deposit to receive your bonus. Some casinos have it on the homepage but still require you to enter a code (which is not on the homepage)

So again ALWAYS read the terms and conditions concerning the bonus.

Like any casino game, you should be there to enjoy yourself and the challenge of winning money. Therefore, don’t stick rigidly to the above if you feel it doesn’t work for you and ensure you walk away if the fun goes out of the game.